NutraChamps Blog

Tag: rest

How to Reset Your Circadian Rhythm For Optimal Sleep!
Sleep is fundamental for every human being, but not just any type of sleep, quality sleep. One of the telltale signs to know whether or not you’ve had a good sleep is if you wake feeling refreshed and rested. Unfortunately, many North Americans struggle to get a good night’s sleep, because there are many factors contributing to this statistic. The good news is that it’s definitely possible to get your body and sleep back on track by living in alignment with the circadian rhythm of your body and the Earth. With some adjustments and tweaks to your lifestyle and routines, you can get some of the quality sleep you need to feel your best! In this blog, we are going to explain some of the ways you might be impacting your sleep schedule and quality of sleep in a negative way, and how you can work to improve how you feel. If you’re interested in learning more about the circadian rhythm and sleep hygiene, keep reading!

What is a circadian rhythm?

By definition, the circadian rhythm is “The natural cycle of physical, mental, and behavior changes that goes through the body in a 24-hour cycle.” Various factors can impact and alter our circadian rhythm, but one of the most impactful is lightness and darkness. A small part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus located in the hypothalamus controls the circadian rhythm in the body and is strongly influenced by light. When light, specifically natural light, enters our eyes, information is sent to the brain and body to signal what time of day it is. Melatonin is a hormone naturally made by the body and its production is also closely related to light. As the day goes from light to darkness, the brain begins to produce melatonin. When this happens, our brain begins to go into sleep mode. Light can slow or halt this process of melatonin release, specifically cool-toned lights and blue lights from screens.

Negative factors that impact sleep quality

There are many things in our modern world that can impact our sleep daily! You may not realize certain factors are at play when it comes to getting the quality sleep you deserve. Here are some contributing factors that might impact your sleep and circadian rhythm.
- Shift work
- Jet-lag
- Lack of exposure to natural light
- Staying up too late
- Overuse of screens (smartphone, tablet, TV)
- Medications
- Stress
- Mental health conditions
Some of the factors that go into disrupting your circadian rhythm may be out of your control, but education is the first step to understanding how you can alter and optimize your lifestyle for better quality sleep.

How to reset your circadian rhythm

One of the top ways to reset the circadian rhythm and maintain a healthy sleep cycle is by having a consistent schedule and routine. Our bodies are cyclical and work best when living in alignment with their design. Rising with the sun and getting sunshine in your eyes first thing in the morning synchronizes the internal body clock by telling the brain to stop making melatonin. Throughout the day, you can also try eating your meals at the same time and stop eating anything heavy after 7pm. Try maintaining the same bedtime every night as well. Experts recommend that adults should aim to go to sleep between 10-11pm.

Another way to reset your circadian rhythm is to avoid caffeine and alcohol. Both of these beverages can impact sleep, especially if they’re consumed later in the day. If you’re looking for a hot beverage a couple of hours before bed, indulging in a relaxing cup of herbal tea such as lemon balm, chamomile, or valerian root is a great choice for inducing relaxation.

As we mentioned earlier in this article, artificial lights also disrupt sleep as it inhibits the production of melatonin. We suggest limiting and eliminating screen exposure at least one hour before your intended bedtime when winding down at night. This is also a great opportunity to dim the lights and take advantage of relaxing activities such as reading a book, stretching the body, or listening to relaxing music.

Finally, certain supplements can impact your sleep cycle and optimize your body for quality sleep. At NutraChamps, we recommend a few fan favorites for relaxation, including our tart cherry gummies, magnesium capsules, calm gummies, and even sleep gummies. Sometimes, your body could use a little extra support when it comes to getting sleepy.

Optimizing your sleep is ultimately about listening to your body and tuning into the cues it gives for winding down. Working with our bodies natural rhythms instead of against them allows for balance within. By implementing some of our suggestions above, we believe you can support your body for better night’s of sleep, which will positively impact your health. Here’s to taking care of ourselves, from the inside-out.
June 28, 2024
How Do You Define Movement?

There have been a few clients and prospective clients that I have spoken with that are frustrated with themselves because they have the desire to begin a fitness regimen, but report that they lack the time and ability to make fitness a priority.

When I hear this, it makes me first question the client on how they define fitness and movement. The second area that I start to probe is what their daily life looks like.

How do you define fitness? Movement? Often people have a perception or expectation of movement that it must look a certain way, achieve certain benchmarks, and bring about a specific (and often unrealistic) outcome. If you start walking tomorrow, it is not plausible (without great strain and danger of injury) that you are going to run a marathon this weekend.

It is important to have fitness goals and something to strive for, but we need to break down those goals into bite-sized, manageable pieces that fit into daily life to build a solid foundation and flourish from there.

One way that we do this is through what I have coined ‘inefficient movement’.

When we start to intentionally stop looking for the easiest and simplest way to complete tasks, the potential is almost infinite on how to incorporate more movement—thus building our overall fitness (endurance, strength, stamina, flexibility, and mobility)—without much impact on one of our most valuable resources: TIME.

So, what is inefficient movement?

It is the ability to break down tasks into multi-step processes to maximize the greatest impact on the body.

One of the easiest examples to look at this concept is carrying groceries inside our home. Instead of being the person that loads all the grocery bags in your arms, put one or two bags in each hand and make multiple trips to the car.

By breaking this task down and taking multiple trips back and forth, you are 1) increasing strength capacity through several repetitions of load on your arms and upper body and 2) putting in more steps and depending on the distance you are walking back and forth, increasing your heart rate, and experiencing cardiovascular benefits.

Some other great ways that I incorporate inefficient movement throughout my day is making multiple trips back and forth from closets to the laundry room. I will take a dirty load to put into the machine, come back to the closet to grab hangers, carry a clean load to put away, and bring another load back with me. At least in my home, the closets and laundry room are at opposite ends of the house, so it contributes to many steps, and the bonus of carrying the weight of the laundry back and forth is great for continued strength building.

What are some other ways that you can breakdown everyday tasks in the home or at the office to maximize your inefficiency?

Inefficient movement is beneficial for people of any fitness level.

It gives those that are just starting to incorporate movement into their life the ability to gently ramp up in building capacity for greater movement and stamina.

For people that already engage in an exercise regimen or are active most days of the week, inefficient movement gives them the ability to keep moving and building on the benefits of their exercise, and can consider it active recovery to keep muscles loose and flexible in the recovery process.

Just like any other exercise regimen, there are considerations to help your body thrive when engaging in movement.

Some of these basic needs are:

Sleep: making sure that you are getting enough sleep is the key to body recovery, cognitive rest, and giving yourself that break to recharge.

Hydration: proper hydration is always important in any lifestyle, but considerations to make around hydration with engaging in inefficient movement is the new stressors on the body that are requiring more hydration intake due to the energy expended.

Consistent Eating: with inefficient movement, there is not a need to boost your calorie intake as the daily calorie expenditure is not vastly increased. The key here is to make sure that you are consistently eating snacks and meals throughout the day to nourish yourself in a manner that is appropriate for your needs.

Rest and Recovery: While sleep is important, rest is important. This is disconnecting from daily activities to engage in self care activities. Self-care looks different for each of us—for some, it is bubble baths and face masks, but for others it is taking a break from the structured schedule of the day or taking some time to engage in those basic needs of hydration or consistent eating.

Click here to discover more of your basic needs.

In addition to engaging in inefficient movement and providing the basic needs for our holistic selves, it is important to remember that occasionally we don’t feel ‘right’ in our body. This can be remedied in several ways, but one of the most empowering things we can do is just start with a nutritional supplement like a Men’s or Women’s Multivitamin that help to stand in the gap from the nutrients that need a boost to help us thrive.

Curious about where to start with inefficient movement or selecting a nutrient supplement right for your needs? Comment below or reach out for assistance so I can support you in feeling great today!

Stephanie Lueras, Heart and Sole Fitness & Wellness –
Body Positive Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Nutrition Specialist, and Speaker

After coming to a point in life where she was “sick and tired of being sick and tired,” Stephanie realized some things needed to change. She took a hard look at the big picture and realized that nutrition and exercise alone were not the problem, but that there were bigger issues to be addressed in looking at a larger holistic picture.

Through small actions and goal setting, Stephanie has lost over 200 pounds through balanced nutrition and movement, without the use of restrictive dieting, commercial weight
loss plans, or supplements. She has gained a love of endurance sports, running marathons, and is currently training for Ironman Arizona. She uses this same holistic goal setting model in working with clients in groups and individually to help them break down the everyday barriers that exist in life so theyare able to achieve whatever it is that they are working towards for their best personal wellness.

August 25, 2021
How to Get Good Quality Sleep
We’ve gained an hour of sleep as the clocks go back by an hour with daylight saving time coming to an end. Basically, this is the only night we gain an hour of sleep, and even that may not be enough for us. But why? Why are we losing more and more quality sleep? Why do we find ourselves staying up late, suffering from insomnia, or worse: sleeping a full 8 hours but not feeling rested in the morning?

Pay attention to your diet

For me, this is specifically sugar and dairy. This is a tough one because the food or drink that is keeping you up could be part of your daily diet! You can test this out by doing an elimination diet. This is not a diet that will encourage weight loss, rather this is a diet to figure out if one specific thing in your diet is causing you problems getting to sleep.

“In fact, the more sugar that you eat during the day, the more often you’re going to wake up in the middle of the night. Even if you don’t fully wake up, the sugar in your system can pull you out of a deep sleep, making you feel exhausted the next day.” – Sleep.org

Supplements, not sleeping pills

I’m not going to recommend anyone take medically prescribed sleeping pills or even herbal supplements to help with sleep. Some people prefer to use supplements because they are a healthy, non-addictive alternative to prescribed sleeping pills. For those of you who would like to try those out, check out the NutraChamps Sleep page for all things SLEEP! 😴

For everyone else, there are supplements that can help you throughout your day, that can safely be taken daily, and that can potentially help you fall asleep easier at night! For herbal supplements, you can try 5-HTP, GABA, L-Theanine (found in green tea), Vitamin B6, CBD oil, Lemon balm, Magnesium, Melatonin, Chamomile, and much more! There are lots of ways to jump-start – or tranquilize?!

“Studies show that magnesium’s relaxing effect may be partly due to its ability to regulate the production of melatonin. Magnesium is known to relax muscles and induces sleep.” – Healthline

Set the scene for sleep

From noise to lighting, to temperature, there are many ways to make your environment more snooze-friendly. Some like it quiet, while others like a little bit of white noise, a guided meditation, or nature sounds. It’s also a great idea to eliminate or minimize any light while sleeping. Light provides energy and is meant to wake us up, so it’s not what we need when we’re trying to fall asleep. Blackout curtains are a great option, but so is being off your electronic devices! Lastly, keeping a cool room (65 degrees Fahrenheit) regulates temperature and signals your body that it’s time to slow down and fall asleep.

Introduce mindfulness practice

For those of you who are insomniacs, this one is for you! In a 2015 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers analyzed how mindfulness meditation affected 49 adults with moderate sleep issues. Participants were assigned 6 weeks of meditation or sleep hygiene education. At the end of the study, the meditation group experienced fewer insomnia symptoms and less daytime fatigue. So not only did they fall asleep, but the quality overall was much more restful.

Exercise

According to John Hopkins Medicine, exercise is proven to help improve your sleep. It’s just not so clear what time is best to do it. Aerobic exercise causes the body to release endorphins, which could potentially keep you awake. In this case, keep your workout to 1-2 hours pre-bedtime. Similarly, because it raises your core body temperature, it is the equivalent of taking a hot shower to wake up in the morning. Once you’re cooled off (30-90 minutes later), your core body temperature starts to fall, and that’s when you will start to feel tired. Whenever you decide to do it, it’s the doing it that counts!

Limit caffeine intake.

Caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks, etc.) can and likely does affect your sleep! Even if you do not have trouble falling asleep, this could be affecting the depth at which you can sleep. The FDA recommends keeping your dosage below 400 mg on a single day. To get a better picture of how much, exactly, that is, Mayo Clinic lists the caffeine in various drinks. Some of those are:
- 8 ounces of brewed coffee has 96 mg of caffeine
- 1 ounce of espresso has 64 mg of caffeine
- 8 ounces of instant coffee has 62 mg of caffeine
- 8 ounces of black tea has 47 mg of caffeine
- 8 ounces of green tea has 28 mg of caffeine
- 8 ounces of cola has 22 mg of caffeine
- 8 ounce energy drink has 29 mg of caffeine
- 1 ounce energy shot has 215 mg of caffeine
For those caffeine-addicts out there, I‘m not telling you to quit consuming caffeine. I am, however, suggesting that you limit those 2 pm energy-crash Americanos, as this suppresses melatonin production, meaning your mind and body are not anywhere ready to go to sleep!

No naps allowed?!

Nah, I’d never tell you not to nap. Naps are glorious. They can relax us, reduce fatigue, and improve mood and memory. There are also drawbacks. Unfortunately, naps can cause insomnia and poor sleep. This is especially true if you take a long nap or nap too close to bedtime. It’s normal to be tired from time to time from long work shifts or stressful situations, so in these cases, aim to take short naps (only 10-20 minutes!) and nap before 3 pm. I repeat: Naps are not the enemy of sleep!

Sun exposure

Specifically morning sunlight! Light therapy, aka phototherapy, is said to help with insomnia, Circadian rhythm disorders, depression, PTSD, and Seasonal Affective Disorder. Aim to get some sunlight in an hour or two after waking up. Although it sounds like the opposite of what our parents would teach us, the benefits come from exposing your eyes to the sunlight. Don’t look right into the sun, but your eyes do need to be open and exposed. Unfortunately, you can’t just take a nap out in the sun. For those of us experiencing an early Winter, a sun lamp can work similarly when turned on in the morning for at least 30 minutes.

🌞 Sun = Increase in serotonin = More melatonin = Better sleep patterns! 🌚

Let us know which of these you have tried in the past. If you do not have trouble falling asleep, what are some things you’ve noticed that have helped your sleep or mood? Eating properly, having regular wake/rest hours, and supplementation has been my main priorities in the past few years.
November 24, 2020
7 Natural Ways To Kick The Common Cold
It’s that time of year again: the ground is snowy, the air is crisp, and the people are…sick.

It seems that you and everyone you know is experiencing the dreaded symptoms of the common cold: congestion, sneezing, coughing, and a little red nose from the constant tissue action. So to curb your couch time, we’ve come up with seven ways you can kick the sick and get back to optimal health.
1. Ginger
Fresh ginger root is basically your anti-inflammatory one stop shop when you’re feeling sick. Ginger soothes sore throats, alleviates nausea, and loosens chest congestion. The best way to prepare fresh ginger is to peel it, and cut thin rounds—about an inch and half long—and steep it in a mug of boiling water for five minutes.
1. Bone Broth
There’s good reason we often crave a bowl of chicken soup when we’re sick! Traditional bone broth—in which the bones have been simmering for hours—are a source of easily digested nutrients, which is highly beneficial when you’ve lost your appetite. It also has great immune boosting properties: bone broth contains various amino acids, like arginine, glutamine and cysteine, that reduce inflammation, eliminate mucus and make it easier to breathe. Furthermore, bone broth is extremely hydrating due to its water and electrolyte content.
1. Eucalyptus Steam Shower
Eucalyptus, a powerful medicinal plant native to Australia, is a fantastic expectorant and decongestant. It works by eliminating toxins from the body, and opening up blood vessels to allow more oxygen to the lungs. It also has antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, making it an effective tool in combatting cold symptoms like coughing, runny nose and sore throat. Since shower steam is also a great way to help with respiratory cold symptoms, combining the two makes for instant relief. To make a eucalyptus steam shower, tie fresh eucalyptus—which can be purchased from your local florist—to your showerhead, and as you shower, breathe in deeply. This will last a few weeks (and look very attractive, might I add). Alternatively, you can put a few drops of eucalyptus oil on the shower floor where it won’t be immediately washed off, to get the same effect.
1. Ditch the Sugar
When you’re sick, it can be tempting to want to lift your spirits (and energy level) with a bit of chocolate or some candy, but research shows that sugar actually suppresses the immune system for hours after eating it by reducing the ability of Vitamin C to get into white blood cells. So if you find yourself craving something sweet, grab an orange instead—that way you’re getting a natural form of sugar, with Vitamin C and fiber.
1. Zinc
This trace element is a great immune booster—being both anti-inflammatory and antiviral—and research shows that zinc can reduce the duration of cold-related symptoms when taken upon first signs of sickness—some studies show by up to 50%. To get the most benefit, take one zinc lozenge every two to three hours as soon as you begin to notice symptoms. You can also include food sources of zinc, like beef, lamb, chickpeas and pumpkin seeds to your diet for a speedier recovery.
1. Raw Honey
Raw unpasteurized honey is such a powerhouse food: I’m talking antimicrobial, antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. It’s also full of antioxidants and healthy probiotics—and it’s super delicious to boot. Research shows that raw honey is just as effective as over-the-counter medication in treating coughs and soothing sore throats. To make a Common Cold Elixir, combine one to two teaspoons of raw honey, with a few slices of fresh ginger, two slices of lemon and boiling water and steep in a mug for five minutes.
1. Rest
So this guy might be the hardest piece of advice to follow—and probably the most important. Not only are people who get less sleep more likely to get sick, but they’re also more likely to take longer recovering. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep every night, and make sure to practice good sleep hygiene: turning off technology/blue light at least an hour before you go to bed, eating your last meal at least two hours before bed, and sleeping in a completely dark room. If you have trouble sleeping at night due to cold-related symptoms, take a hot Epsom salt bath with soothing essential oils (like eucalyptus, lavender and chamomile) to help sooth your body and put you in a more relaxed state of mind.
February 3, 2017